Canada’s federal justice minister says a miscarriage of justice likely occurred in the case of Wade Skiffington, who was convicted for the second-degree murder of his fiancée in Richmond, BC, in 1994. David Lametti says in a statement that this was determined after an extensive investigation and has referred the matter to the B-C’s Court of Appeal. Skiffington’s lawyer says his client is grateful for the minister’s decision and the chance to convince the court that he was wrongfully convicted. James Lockyer says the Supreme Court of Canada has acknowledged the risk of false confessions arising from certain undercover police operations, and it’s on that basis that Skiffington and his lawyers convinced the minister the case likely constituted a miscarriage of justice.
Travellers in Vancouver are being reminded to check their flight status before heading towards the airport as heavy snow is forecasted until Tuesday. Vancouver International Airport’s website shows dozens of flights were delayed and a handful of them were cancelled yesterday due to heavy snow across the region. The airport says in a tweet the weather has slowed down operations as crews are working to remove ice and snow from runways. It says workers are also stationed throughout the terminal to answer questions and that it has extended hours for food and beverage operators wherever possible.
RCMP in the southern Interior say they’re looking for a vehicle and its occupants after shots were fired at an officer near Merritt yesterday morning. They say the officer had approached the black Jeep Cherokee parked at a rest area just after 5 a-m, when someone rolled down a rear window, stuck the barrel of a gun out and shot at the officer, who was not injured. The Mounties say the officer fired several rounds in return as the vehicle sped away. The black Jeep from the mid-2000s era was last seen heading west along Hamilton Hill Road, and anyone with information is asked to call police.
Mounties in Coquitlam are asking for the public’s help as they continue to investigate the theft of a totem pole from the band office of the Kwikwetlem First Nation. The RCMP say a single suspect was caught on camera loading the totem pole into the back of a U-Haul outside the office on October 12th. Corporal Alexa Hodgins says the totem pole had been on display at the back of the band office and has “significant sentimental value to the community.” The pole is described as being three feet tall, made of red cedar wood, with a carved owl on the top.
Mounties in BC are asking for the public’s help in finding an excavator that was stolen from a construction site in North Vancouver. Police say the owner of the 2018 John Deere 50-G excavator called to report the situation. They say the vehicle is worth 50-thousand dollars and is the third one that has been stolen from the property owner in four years. The RCMP is urging anyone with information, including CCTV or dash cam footage, to come forward.
Snowfall that hit the Lower Mainland this weekend led to a scary incident for first responders in Surrey. An ambulance that had responded to an emergency near 176th Street and 96th Avenue on Sunday was hit by an out-of-control SUV. Firefighters responded to that crash but had to jump out of the way when a large semi-truck started sliding toward the fire truck. The chain reaction turned into an eight-car pile-up that resulted in a civilian and firefighter being taken to the hospital with minor injuries.